Where Did the Normans Come From?

Britain – Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest, 878-1066

In this course, Dr Benjamin Pohl (University of Bristol) explores Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest. The course begins by considering where the Normans came from, focusing in particular on the Viking raids of the ninth and tenth centuries AD, and the creation of the Duchy of Normandy in AD 911. In the second module, we think about the development of the Norman ducal family as they attempted to consolidate their power in north-western France, before moving on in the third and fourth modules to think about the relationship between England, Scandinavia and Normandy up to William of Normandy's arrival in England in September 1066. In the fifth module, we think about the Battle of Hastings itself, before moving on in the sixth and final module to think about some of the social, political and cultural impacts of William's conquest of England.

Where Did the Normans Come From?

In this module, we trace the creation of Normandy from the earliest Viking raids on the British Isles, focusing in particular on the creation of Danelaw in northern England after the Battle of Edington (AD 878) and the Treaty of St-Clair-sur-Epte (AD 911) in which the king of West Francia, Charles the Simple, gave land to the Viking leader Rollo, who would later be seen by some historians as the first Duke of Normandy.